UPDATE (x4): CBS42’s Kaitlin McCulley spoke with Allysa’s uncle, Larry Steton, about his niece. He said that “She was a strong swimmer, a certified lifeguard and certified scuba diver. We’re holding on hope that she may have gotten out.”

Missing teen update: dive teams have covered the area in river where Allysa was last seen, now moving further down river #cbs42

UPDATE (x3): Volunteers from across Blount County are joining forces with several rescue agencies to search for 19-year-old Allysa Huffstutler.

Teams are set up at two locations on the Warrior River, one at the double bridges and another further downstream.

Allysa and her friends were on inflatable rafts like these which are susceptible to being punctured by sharp rocks.(WIAT-CBS42 Kaitlin McCulley)

Allysa was floating down the river with six of her friends, when they hit a rough section of rapids.

“We’ve seen a lot of trouble on this river before. It’s a very dangerous, dangerous rocks. And a lot of time with the water you can’t see that. And even though the water’s come down some, it’s still a very dangerous place.” -Pay Seames, American Red Cross

Alyssa and her friends were on inflatable rafts which are susceptible to being punctured by sharp rocks.

He told CBS42 that “They were on inflatable tubes and floats, a couple of them lost their floats, one was able to come out and call for 911 because the other person who lost her float was not seen after that.”

As for Allysa he said that, “She was last seen about the third set of rapids on the river. The Locust Fork River is the premier white water river for this part of the state. It’s used for competitions. It’s a very challenging river.”

He ended it by asking the public to send up a lot of prayers right now, because there have been “instances in the past where someone was able to get out of the river and wander the wooded section on the west side for a day and a half before they made contact with a road to find somebody. Nobody’s given up hope yet.”